The stator of a four-pole electrical machine may comprise two c-shaped cores arranged on opposite sides of the rotor. In employing c-shaped cores, a relatively high fill-factor may be achieved for the stator. Additionally, winding the coils onto the cores is generally easier in comparison to that for a single-piece core.
The air gap between the rotor and the stator is ideally as small as possible so as to reduce reluctance. On the other hand, the air gap must be sufficiently large such that, at the tolerance limit, the rotor is free to rotate without contacting the stator. Tolerances in the alignment of the two stator cores generally mean that a larger air gap is required in comparison to a single-piece core.